Shopper expectations have been set and the smart technologies are readily available. Today, a new retailing era has begun, and smarter retail is ready for its smart store. Discover insight below from today’s leading thought leaders in retail, finance, technology and more.

Alexandra Salai | July 12, 2017
On Monday, July 10th, two industry thought leaders sat down and discussed the deal that has been eclipsing the retail sector for the past several weeks: e-commerce giant Amazon and their presumptive acquisition of grocer Whole Foods. Alexei Agratchev, CEO and Co-Founder of RetailNext, and Oliver Chen, Managing Director & Sr. Research Analyst at Cowen & Company, LLC, optimistically focused conversation on how to remain defensible against the power and prevalence of Amazon. READ MORE

Holy Sh*!, Amazon Bought Whole Foods … Now What?

Bridget Johns | June 23, 2017
Last Friday morning, a collective gasp was heard ‘round the retail world as it was announced that Amazon was buying Whole Foods in a $13.7 billion cash deal. In the days since, I’ve heard everything from “Oh sh*!” to “Bravo, Amazon” to a lot of “What does this mean?,” and from a neighbor mom, “My two favorite retailers in one place, that is amazing.” To say that the reaction is mixed is an understatement. READ MORE

A Look Behind-the-Scenes at Amazon Third-Party E-Commerce

Danielle Adams | May 23, 2017
For those with brick-and-mortar stores looking to expand into e-commerce, third-party selling can be a tempting choice. Putting together your own online storefront can be difficult, and it doesn’t always have the market penetration you’re looking for. Turning to an established market, then, can seem like a viable option as a solution. READ MORE

An Amazon Go Q & A with RetailNext’s Arun Nair and Bridget Johns

Ray Hartjen | April 19, 2017
Since its Amazon Go announcement in early December, Amazon’s newest brick-and-mortar initiative has sent shock waves through the retail industry with its promised checkout-free shopping experience. Retailers across every segment have been scrambling to figure out the impact to their own businesses and how the Internet of Things will shape shopping journeys and shopping experiences in the not-so-distant future. READ MORE

Amazon Go Delay Is No Victory for Physical Retail

Bridget Johns | March 27, 2017
The news of the delayed Amazon Go public launch probably has retail tech executives all over the country exhaling a collective sigh of relief. I imagine the conversations around the proverbial water coolers are full of “I told you so” and “Of course it didn’t work,” or “it’s harder than it sounds, isn’t it?” But to think that this is the end of the Amazon Go conversation would be both foolhardy and shortsighted. READ MORE

Are Shoppers Ready for Amazon Go? [INFOGRAPHIC]

Ray Hartjen | February 9, 2017
When Amazon released its Amazon Go teaser in early December, it sent shock waves rippling through the retailing community – not just grocery, but all retail segments. It put the entire retail industry on warning that shopping paradigms are changing sooner rather than later, as consumers are simply demanding the most painful friction-points of their shopping journeys be eliminated. READ MORE

The Tech Behind Concepts Like Amazon Go

Arun Nair | December 15, 2017
There’s been a lot of talk in retail circles recently about Amazon’s announcement of Amazon Go. For those of you who haven’t heard about it yet, Amazon Go is a grab-and-go store which promises to bring an uber-like experience to shopping.As someone focused on retail technology, the most common question that I get about Amazon Go is, “How does it actually work?”Amazon has been very cagey about it, and all their communication has been very high-level with basically a few buzzwords thrown in for good measure. READ MORE

Amazon Go – Time to Panic?

Bridget Johns | December 10, 2017
Within hours of last Monday morning’s press cycle, RetailNext’s customers were asking me, “What does Amazon Go mean for the rest of retail?” There is no doubt it’s an exciting time to be in the business of delivering technologies that move the needle on physical store shopper experiences and, in my view, this announcement fast forwards the need to make the investments that drive a new kind of retail. READ MORE

Everything Amazon, From A to Z

Ray Hartjen | April 14, 2017
Today’s cross-channel, omnichannel shopping environment seems so natural and easy, it’s difficult to believe it hasn’t always been that way. Believe it or not, it’s been only twenty years, and if we’re talking about really good, viable online channels, it’s really more like the last ten years.Of course, it was the Internet that empowered the omnichannel reality, but the real credit goes to e-commerce titan Amazon, who went online in 1995. READ MORE

[INFOGRAPHIC] Is Amazon Set to Shake Up Grocery in the UK?

Ray Hartjen | March 17, 2017
The British retail grocery market is bracing for battle with the arrival of e-commerce titan Amazon on its home turf. Amazon first launched its Amazon Pantry service in the UK last year, picking a fight of sorts with the UK’s “big four” supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury’s ASDA and Morrisons – but being unable to offer fresh food. That changed in late February when word broke that Morrisons had entered into an agreement with Amazon to supply fresh, frozen and non-perishable good to Amazon customers. READ MORE